Meet Eric Lowell, MRSC's Newest Finance Consultant

“A man always has two reasons for what he does; a good one, and the real one” – JP Morgan

I’ll go ahead and give the real one. Having a career in public finance was not something I planned, but it was the winding path I followed. I have found that working in public finance has been a rewarding and enjoyable career, and I hope my experience serves me well as I begin my work as a Finance Consultant for MRSC.

I grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada, which despite its image, was a pretty normal place to grow up. Although, I have to say I was surprised when I went away to college and learned the term “last call,” and that you can’t buy alcohol 24/7/365 in other states.

After high school I attended Arizona State University where I received a bachelor’s degree in secondary education with an emphasis in English. After earning my degree, I moved back to Las Vegas where I taught middle school English for 5 years. I am happy to once again have the opportunity to utilize my teaching skills working at MRSC.

In 1999, I moved to Seattle to sing and play in an alternative rock band. After realizing I needed a career that actually paid the bills, I went back to school in 2004 at Central Washington University, where I earned a bachelor’s degree in Accounting. I landed my first finance job in 2007 with the City of Lakewood in accounts payable and quickly moved on to payroll. I was promoted to Finance Analyst, and finally, Finance Supervisor, where I gained experience in fixed assets, budgeting, and in preparing the comprehensive annual financial report. I am thankful for the experience and knowledge I gained in my nine years at the City of Lakewood.

In 2016, I became the Finance Director at Timberland Regional Library, a system that operates 27 community libraries, 2 cooperative libraries, and 3 library kiosks across Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, and Thurston counties. Later I oversaw the Information Technology (IT) department as well. While at Timberland Regional Library, I was able to implement a more transparent budget process, improve internal processes, work on policies, and oversee conversion to a new accounting software system.

Throughout my career I have found MRSC to be an extremely valuable resource, and I am excited to now be a part of a team that provides so much to local government in Washington State.